Botanical Colors Archives - Page 8 of 39

MORDANT MONDAY: Does Alum Acetate Have a Shelf Life?

We get mordant questions all the time at Botanical Colors so why not create Mordant Monday??? Got mordanting questions? Email [email protected] YOU ASKED: I have some alumimum acetate mordant that is 18 months old. It is kept in a plastic container inside a freezer plastic bag. I heard it has a short life. How do I know when it is not worth using? KATHY ANSWERED: I have also heard that aluminum acetate has a short shelf life but I asked our supplier and they were unaware of this issue and have never provided us with a “best by” usage date. … Read more

Video From FEEDBACK FRIDAY: Fibershed Ireland Takes on Linen + Woad

Last week on FEEDBACK FRIDAY we took an inspiring textile and color journey with Fibershed Ireland! We travelled to the island of Ireland and met Mario Sierra from Mourne Textiles. Mario is bringing a spinning mill at the foot of the Mourne Mountains in Northern Ireland back to life. Despite having a rich history of linen production from soil to textile, in the last 30 years the linen industry has pretty much left Ireland, save a handful of weavers and finishers. Mario intends to change that at Mourne Textiles. We also met Jennifer Lienhard of AppleOak FibreWorks who talked about her … Read more

MORDANT MONDAY: Post-Mordant Scouring?

We get mordant questions all the time at Botanical Colors so why not create Mordant Monday??? Got mordanting questions? Email [email protected] YOU ASKED: Can you store and then reuse symplocos mordant, the way you can alum mordants? If it can be stored, do you need refrigerate it or add cloves to keep it from going off, as you must with plant based dyes? KATHY ANSWERED: Symplocos baths may be reused several times but it does contain plant matter and will probably start to ferment if left for long periods of time, like over 2 weeks in a warm environment. You … Read more

MORDANT MONDAY: Tips On Temps For Mordanting Fibers

We get mordant questions all the time at Botanical Colors so why not create Mordant Monday??? Got mordanting questions? Email [email protected] YOU ASKED: Does your wool gauze need to be scoured before I mordant it? KATHY ANSWERED: I do not scour the wool gauze as it’s so sheer and fine and it seems pretty clean. It takes the dyes exceptionally well with a mordant only. YOU ASKED: Which type of mordanting do you think ensures color fastness? KATHY ANSWERED: Color fastness is a function of the dyestuff and the mordant, not the mordant alone. If you dye a mordanted fabric … Read more

MORDANT MONDAY: Does Alum Triformate Shift Color?

We get mordant questions all the time at Botanical Colors so why not create Mordant Monday??? Got mordanting questions? Email [email protected] YOU ASKED: I have just recently tried Alum triformate, first time using it. Have you had reports that it shifts the colors? We used Sequoia extract that was purchased from Maiwa, and it should have a dusty brownish purple, and it did on the regular alum mordanted bits I had in there- but it made a greenish grey on the triformate. Just wondering if you had info on this? I’m going to do a test with 2 skeins in … Read more

MORDANT MONDAY: Fresh Rhubarb For Mordanting Wool?

We get mordant questions all the time at Botanical Colors so why not create Mordant Monday??? Got mordanting questions? Email [email protected] YOU ASKED: I use fresh rhubarb leaf for pre-mordanting wool, and I’m wondering if it can be used dried, and if so, what is the ratio of dried leaf to WOF? KATHY ANSWERED: Since you are already using the fresh leaves, do you have a percentage or weight that you are using? If so, I would use about half as much with dried leaves and see if you like the results! YOU ASKED: Kakishibu Japanese persimmon dye is used with … Read more

Video From FEEDBACK FRIDAY: Heidi Gustafson & Book Of Earth

On our last FEEDBACK FRIDAY we had Book of Earth author, artist and ochre translator, Heidi Gustafson. Heidi is based in the Cascade foothills of rural northern Washington. Her collaborative ochre and iron research projects include work with scientists, anthropologists, linguists, indigenous practioners, citizen foragers, healers, artists and places around the planet. Heidi’s current projects focus on ochre, iron oxides and land pigments and her cabin/studio houses the Ochre Sanctuary, a counsel of ochres and pigments from contributors world-wide. She also just published the most beautiful book ever called Book of Earth. Watch the recording below. Website Instagram About Heidi: … Read more

MORDANT MONDAY: Symplocos Mordant + Prepping Paper

We get mordant questions all the time at Botanical Colors so why not create Mordant Monday??? Got mordanting questions? Email [email protected] YOU ASKED: I have looked over the symplocos mordanting instructions that you have on the Botanical Colors website and I see that there is an “Oiling the Fabric” step for cellulose fabrics that we did not use in the workshop. I am wondering how important that step is in creating a fairly lightfast and colorfast final fabric? I really love some of the colors we got in class on cotton using symplocos mordant and sappanwood and would like to use … Read more

MORDANT MONDAY: Will Mordant Wash Out Without Tannin?

We get mordant questions all the time at Botanical Colors so why not create Mordant Monday??? Got mordanting questions? Email [email protected] YOU ASKED: I have been contacting a well-published natural dyer and they say that the aluminum mordants will be washed out of the fiber without pre-treatment with tannin. Do you have any theory why the triformate is able to mordant without a tannin ? Have you got any data on the wash and light fastness of the triformate on cotton? KATHY ANSWERED: Alum on cellulose performs better with a tannin pre-treatment. However, we have not noticed that the mordant … Read more

RSVP For FEEDBACK FRIDAY: Jessie Mordine Young

Join us this week, May 26th, 9am Pacific/Noon Eastern for FEEDBACK FRIDAY with textile artist and educator Jessie Mordine Young. We love all of Jessie’s projects but were really drawn to her “A Weaving a Day” series where she is weaving 365 individual pieces to document her practice. She says: “On January 1st, 2023, I will embark on my next long form weaving project, one that is far more ambitious than anything I have done previously in my creative career and truthfully, in my life. I will create one woven drawing each day for an entire year. One woven artwork … Read more